Yankees general manager Brian Cashman insists he’s not angry with hitting coach Kevin Long. But Cashman didn’t too happy with him either when discussing Mark Teixeira’s wrist woes with reporters on Monday.

Long said Saturday night that he wasn’t sure if Teixeira’s right wrist “has been right” since coming off the disabled list on May 31.

“It’s alarming in the fact that K-Long would say that to the group of the reporters, but he never said that prior to that,” Cashman said. “This is a lot of times how things work out when things go bad, things get said. If K-Long felt that way he should have been saying that from Day 1, but we never heard that from K-Long.”

Long said Teixeira was having more trouble swinging from the left side of the plate. He never reported the issue to team officials or the Yankees medical staff, Cashman said.

“Am I mad at Kevin Long because of that? No,” said Cashman. “But do I think that commentary jibes with Kevin Long’s comments internally in that clubhouse regarding this player prior to him going down? Absolutely not. … If K-Long said that, he’s a monk because he kept his mouth shut the whole time.”

“Some people are better with the microphone than others,” he added. “Let’s put it that way.”

@ Ricketson:”No more alarming than the fact that Jack Curry had to provide the suggestion for a roster move adopted to accomodate Teixeira’s return from the D.L. for Cashman; a suggestion that “no one thought of.”

The last few years have seen several players such as Marcus Thames, Francisco Cervelli & Russel Martin playing out of position. Enrique Wilson started in RF, Miguel Cairo @ 1b. Alex Rodriguez moved from short to third to play in NY, and who could forget the “Jeter to CF” rumorshttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/30/sports/baseball/30chass.html?fta=y

I find it hard to believe that Joe Girardi didn’t at least inquire or float the idea of Overbay playing the outfield.

Anyone watching the Yankees over the years really should know better than to take anything that Cashman says at face value.

“The fact of the matter is that it is usually in Cashman’s best interests to be less than forthcoming with the entire and absolute truth.”

So how was it in John Cashman’s son’s, or the team’s, best interests to make a spontaneous and public statement that “no one [even] thought” of putting Overbay in the outfield in an interview on the YES network, and then 2 days later make an announcement of that same experiment?

I find the evolution of Cashman fascinating. He was handed the GM job when Bob Watson abruptly quit because he couldn’t take George’s meddling and criticisms any more. George was jealous of all the credit Gene Michael and Bob Watson were getting for resurrecting the organization. George made Cashman the GM so that he could run the show while having Cashman to blame for his blunders. Cashman was named GM with very limited qualifications but that didn’t matter because it fit George’s plan. In Cashman’s early years he got beat down regularly by George. In fact, George was outright mean to him. But since George’s demise, Cashman has been slowly coming into his own. It is interesting to see how he takes certain opportunities to let people know that he is now firmly in charge. His comments regarding Kevin Long are one example of that.

I find the evolution of Cashman fascinating. He was handed the GM job when Bob Watson abruptly quit because he couldn’t take George’s meddling and criticisms any more. George was jealous of all the credit Gene Michael and Bob Watson were getting for resurrecting the organization. George made Cashman the GM so that he could run the show while having Cashman to blame for his blunders. Cashman was named GM with very limited qualifications but that didn’t matter because it fit George’s plan. In Cashman’s early years he got beat down regularly by George. In fact, George was outright mean to him. But since George’s demise, Cashman has been slowly coming into his own. It is interesting to see how he takes certain opportunities to let people know that he is now firmly in charge. His comments regarding Kevin Long are one example of that.

Moving Overbay to the outfield is a desperation move, at best, and it may have help cost the Yanks one game in Oakland. He’s not really an outfielder, and I don’t think he’d have played very much out there anyway.

It’s probably moot, for the rest of Overbay’s time with the Yankees now.

But since George’s demise, Cashman has been slowly coming into his own.

Without Mr. Steinbrenner’s approval of a 7-year, $161 million contract offer to a free agent pitcher named Sabathia prior to the 2009 season (or Sabathia’s free agency itself) and world championship won in that year – at the time Mr. Steinbrenner’s health was beginning to decline, what would the previous 4 seasons have looked like, and where would the team be today?

@ Raf:
So how was it in John Cashman’s son’s, or the team’s, best interests to make a public statement that “no one [even] thought” of putting Overbay in the outfield in an interview on the YES network, and then 2 days later make an announcement of that same “experiment?”Raf wrote:

@ Ricketson:
Cashman continues to evolve as an old geezer at a young age. Funny he has taken the reins over from George as far as blasting people like Long. Has not fired any clubhouse attendants. I find it funny that Cashman blames Long for anything. As GM shouldn’t he be monitoring the rehab/return of his biggest stars? Soreness of the wrist may not have been evident but player performance was certainly evident. Brian, talk to Girardi maybe even talk to Tex. Also does Girardi have to play him every game in his return? Don’t forget this is the same manager who played ARod for 28 straight games after hip surgery. Anybody notice how some of the guys Cash did not pick up are doing. Schierholz, Ryan Sweeney even Cody Ransom had 7 homers in 83 ABs.

So how was it in John Cashman’s son’s, or the team’s, best interests to make a public statement that “no one [even] thought” of putting Overbay in the outfield in an interview on the YES network, and then 2 days later make an announcement of that same “experiment?”

George Steinbrenner was an owner who often performed as his own general manager with general managers such as Paul, Tallis, Bergesch, Woodward, Quinn, Peterson, Michael, and Watson.

John Cashman was a racetrack owner, and a horse breeder, who had been friends with Mr. Steinbrenner for almost 25 years. John Cashman got his son a job in Mr. Steinbrenner’s organization through the friendship.

Bob Watson resigned as general manager in 1998. The owner who often performed as his own general manager appointed the 30-year old son of his friend of almost 25 years general manager.

Cashman’s son became the second-youngest general manager in Major League history – but the appointment had nothing to do with fact that a world championship team had been built, or with the Steinbrenner-Cashman family relationship.

“Life will get stickier for Brian Cashman and his wife, Mary…”
How true…

“San Diego was awarded a waiver claim for Igawa, and now the Padres and the [Yankees] have until… Tuesday.
The Yankees paid a $26 million posting fee for Igawa last fall and then signed him to a five-year, $20 million contract. The Padres would be on the hook only for his salary, and none of his posting fee…
Although Igawa has been a tremendous disappointment for the Yankees… One talent evaluator said that he thinks Igawa would fit much better [in San Diego, a place better suited for pitchers.]”

You always do a great job making a case for this Gnome or Dwarf or Hobbit…

“Major league teams have not expressed an interest in trading for Igawa in the last four years, Cashman said, although he conceded Igawa’s five-year, $20 million contract — the Yankees also paid $26 million in bidding rights — could be keeping some teams away…”

“Last week, [an elusive Lakers scout named 'Chaz' was introduced] who apparently was hired by the team because of his buddy-buddy relationship with Jim Buss, the oft-criticized son of Lakers owner Jerry Buss. ‘A good guy,’ [one NBA front office employee was quoted as saying about Chaz], and ‘great bartender.’”
“That’s right, the book on Chaz is that he’s a former bartender who also happens to be longtime friends with [team executive VP] Jim Buss from their days in the horseracing business…”